OXY Seaweed Power Fresh Skin Wash - Review

Hello everyone,

Today I am going to be sharing my views on the OXY Seaweed Power Fresh Skin Wash. 

I have been using it for most of this month and have to say I have instantly taken a liking to it!

The OXY skin care range is available from stores such as Boots and Tesco and costs £5.99.

OXY Seaweed Power Fresh Skin Wash (more info)

(Taken with iPhone 4s)

'OXY has been a trusted and effective brand in the fight against blackheads, spots and oily skin for over 20 years.'

'Spot prone skin needs a powerful yet gentle approach. That's why the dermatoligists at OXY have undertaken ground breaking research into the power of nature.'

What I like about this product the most is that it contains jojoba micro beads that work deep into the skin to help fight spot-causing bacteria and reduce redness. This product dissolves oil which I find helps to keep shine under control. For me is what I look for when purchasing a new face product as I have quite oily skin. I love how clean my skin feels after using this product and the micro beads feel like they are really working to get rid of any dead skin cells on my face, leaving it feeling extremely clean! This product has a similar texture to an exfoliator and gives a powerful deep cleanse without being too harsh on your skin.

This product is gentle enough to be used everyday, even for people who have sensitive skin.

After using this product I have noticed that my skin has become a lot clearer and looks brighter too!

The OXY face wash is said to work best alongside the OXY Deep Calm Balm moisturiser. 

I have been using it with my Liz Earle light moisturiser and I think this combination works well. I think any oil-free moisturiser would be suitable to use with this product however I am going to try out the calm balm to see if that makes any more of a difference in how clear my skin looks. 

Pros

• Clean, fresh smell
• No alcohol
• No parabens
• No SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate)
• Contains provitamin B5
• Suitable for sensitive skin
• Reduces redness
• Controls shine
• Can be used everyday

Cons

• I haven't had any bad experiences with this product as of yet and at this moment in time, I can't think of anything negative to say.

Have you tried this product before? Let me know what your experience was like whether it was good or bad!

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Quick update & hello to my new followers!

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well!

This is a just a quick update to say thank you to all of you who have been entering my giveaway! You have just over a week to enter if you haven't already! Also I want to say hello to my new followers! Welcome to my blog, I hope you enjoy reading and feel free to send me any requests for any upcoming posts that you would like to see! I always love to hear your feedback too, so feel free to leave any comments or suggestions.

I haven't been blogging as much as I usually do, but I promise by next week I will be blogging to my usual standard! :)

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

300 Followers Giveaway!

Hello everyone!

I am running a giveaway to say thank you to my readers! I recently reached 300 followers! Which is a big deal to me, when I started blogging I didn't expect to get so many followers so as a thank you I am giving you a chance to win 6 beauty goodies shown below! :)

(Taken with iPhone 4s)

• Soap & Glory Glad Hair Day Ultra-Shine Shampoo 250ml
• Soap & Glory Glad Hair Day Intensive Conditioner 250ml
• Clean & Clear Morning Energy Skin Brightening Daily Facial Scrub 150ml
• The Body Shop Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser 200ml
• Montagne Jeunesse Anti-Stress Sauna Masque

This giveaway is open to the UK (sorry to those of you outside of the UK!)
You must be a follower of my blog. New followers welcome of course!! (Please don't follow just to enter the giveaway and then un-follow as that isn't fair on everyone else.)
Leave your name, blog link and contact email address in a comment, so I can contact you if you win.

Make sure to complete each section within Rafflecopter for more entries! You can increase your chances of winning by tweeting about my giveaway once every day right up until the giveaway ends!
Please make sure to read the terms and conditions within the Rafflecopter widget also!
Thank you and good luck! :)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Natasha Carly x
 Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Make Believe Self Tan Mousse - Review

Hello everyone!

Today I'm going to be sharing my views on the Make Believe Tanning Mousse 200ml*

The Make Believe self tanners work with all skin types and tones, they are split into 5 zones. So depending on how how dark you want your tan to be you can pick between a more natural subtle glow or a deep bronzed look. I think this is a brilliant idea as it make it easier for you to identify which category you fit into best and gives you some indication of how dark you should expect your tan to be.

I received mine in Zone 3 - Medium tan, which for me is a perfect colour match and doesn't make me look too dark!

Colour Zone Guide

Zone 1 Provides a subtle glow. A tonal lift to your natural skin tone.

Zone 2 For a warm glowing look. Gives you that weekend-in-the-sun radiance.

Zone 3 For a medium tanned look. That classic summer holiday tan.

Zone 4 Provides a golden tanned look. Delivers a deep and luscious skin tone.

Zone 5 That very dark tanned look. Delivers a deep and luscious skin tone.

The product

For me this product was very easy to apply and took around 4 hours for the colour to develop however I decided to leave the product on overnight and the colour had deepened more by the time I woke up which I was very happy with! AND no stains on my sheets which again is a huge bonus! 

The product is described as super-light and non-sticky as well as having a lasting exotic fragrance in which I have to disagree! Personally, I found the mousse was quite sticky and it took a while to dry after application. I didn't mind waiting too much though!
I am not overly keen on the scent of the product and within an hour or so after applying the mousse, that classic 'self-tan' smell started to appear. Though I have to say it definitely isn't as strong smelling as some other self-tanning products out there! I would also like to mention that when I showered the next morning the 'biscuity smell' had completely disappeared so don't be put off from trying out this product!

Despite the negative points, the product itself does have many plus points! You really don't need to use a whole lot of product, a little goes a very long way! I like the pump applicator as it is easy to get an even looking tan as you can disperse even amounts of product on each part of your body. For example 2 pumps for your lower left arm and 2 pumps for your lower right arm and so on!

The colour pay off is also fantastic, it is extremely natural looking and doesn't leave you looking orange!

I like that the colour develops quickly, it takes between 2-4 hours for the colour to become noticeable.

The tanner is free from parabens, contains fruit extracts and has has a 'Lipo Care Complex' containing;

1. Caffeine - helps to stimulate cellulite breakdown.
2. Co-enzyme A - helps to reduce fatty acids.
3. Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract - helps to tighten the skin with firming and toning benefits.

Directions:

Dispense a palm-sized amount of mousse into your hand and smooth onto clean dry skin. Blend carefully over dryer areas of the body. Can be used for both the face and body and will wear off naturally in a week.

Wash hands after application.

- The directions state to use your hand to apply the product but I always think it's better to use a tanning mitt as it gives easier application and helps to spread the product more evenly than if you used your hands and I don't know about you but I would rather steer clear of patchy hands!

 (Taken with Nikon D3100) more info

 

Summary

Pros: 

• Paraben free
• Moisturising blend of rainforest oils
• Contain anti-oxidants & fruit extracts
• Lovely packaging, easy pump application
• A little goes a long way
• Natural colour
• Develops quickly
• Doesn't stain bed sheets etc
• The fake tan smell disappears after you wash it off the next day 

Cons:

• Doesn't smell great and classic 'fake tan' smell starts to seep through as product is developing
  
• Quite sticky
• Takes a good few minutes to dry
  
• No colour guard
• Pricey! Retails at £29.50

Overall my experience with the product was great! I would definitely say it is better than many self-tanning products that I have tried. 

There are a few things that I would change about this product, the smell and the drying time and I also prefer self tanning products to have a colour guard, just because I find it easier to see where the product has been applied. I do think it all comes down to personal preference though, what some people like about this product others might dislike and vice versa!

For me this product is slightly on the pricey side but if you are wanting to treat yourself to a natural looking sun-kissed glow it is definitely worth a try, you won't be disappointed!

*Disclaimer PR sample - My opinions are still 100% honest

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Lush Big Shampoo - First Impressions

Hello everyone!

Today I'm going to be sharing my first impressions of Big Shampoo by Lush.

(Taken with Nikon D3100)

Ingredients: 

Coarse Sea Salt, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Fresh Organic Lemon Infusion, Fresh Sea Water, Toothed Wrack Seaweed Infusion, Cocamide DEA, Lauryl Betaine, Fresh Organic Lime Juice, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Neroli Oil, Mandarin Oil, Vanilla Absolute, Orange Flower Absolute, *Limonene, Methyl Ionone, Perfume

 

First Impressions:

I recently tried this shampoo and thought it was pretty good. It cleaned my hair very well and removed the product buildup too, my hair was literally squeaky clean!

This shampoo smells gorgeous! Many people have said they're not particularly keen on the smell but I think it smells lovely! It contains sea salt particles which feel very stimulating on the scalp. It also contains fresh lemons and limes to help add shine to your hair. With this product I would definitely say a little goes a long way and it lathers up extremely well too! 

When my hair dried it looked beautifully shiny, the only thing I didn't like is that it made my ends feel quite dry! I wouldn't recommend this shampoo for dry or damaged hair as I have heard that prolonged use can really dry out the ends of your hair! If you do have dry hair and want to try this shampoo out I would recommend using it alongside a hydrating conditioner or treatment mask, I'm going to try this next time I use this shampoo to see if it make a difference on how dry my hair gets.

Overall, I like how clean it left my hair after use and like all other Lush products, I love the packaging! However I don't feel that my hair was particularly voluminous afterwards.

This shampoo retails at £10.95 which I think is a little pricey for what it is!

 I am wanting to try out more Lush hair products and would love it if you could recommend your favourites for dry hair!

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Magazine Freebies- August 2012

Hello everyone! 

Today I decided to do a post on magazine freebies for August 2012.

I enjoy reading these types of posts so I thought I would do one myself this month!

Here are some magazines I picked up:

Marie Claire are offering their readers a full size Avon mascara worth £10, there is a choice of lengthening, volumising or curling! I have wanted to try an Avon mascara for a while and thought I would try out the lengthening mascara as I have many volumising ones and would like to add more length to my lashes!
I'm very excited to try it out!
Marie Claire costs £3.70 which is an absolute bargain for what you are getting!

Elle are offering a sample of St Tropez gradual tanner available in two shades; light/medium or medium/dark.
I picked up the medium/dark one and I am so excited to try it! I haven't tried any of the St Tropez tanning range before.

Cosmopolitan are offering a misguided nail polish, you have a choice of three colours; yellow, orange or pink. I chose yellow as I don't own any yellow nail polishes and this is such a lovely colour for summer!
Cosmo costs £3.50 and these polishes retail at £5 so again you are getting a great bargain!

InStyle have some fabulous freebies featured inside! They're offering a free Georgio Armani mascara worth £7, a Shisiedo gentle cleansing foam also worth £7, plus 20% off Elemis products at timetospa.co.uk AND 10% off a benefitcosmetics.co.uk!

(Taken with Nikon D3100)

Other mags with more fantastic freebies to get your hands on:
Glamour, Red Magazine and Harpers Bazaar!

   

Did you pick up any freebies this month?

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Primark Tangle Teezer Dupe?

Hello everyone!

The weather hasn't been great lately so yesterday my boyfriend and I took at trip to the World Museum in Liverpool and obviously I wasn't going to leave Liverpool without having a nosey around the shops first!

When I was in Primark I noticed this brush sitting on the shelf and it reminded me of the famous Tangle Teezer, so I bought it to try out! I have been wanting to try a Tangle Teezer for a while but feel the price is a little excessive for what it is! It is around £10 so instead I paid just £1.50 for this one!

(Taken with iPhone 4s)

If you haven't heard of the Tangle Teezer before, it is basically a specially designed brush for de-tangling your hair even when it is wet and in its most fragile state!
I have never used the original Tangle Teezer before so I can't really compare the two products but I feel that this could be a good dupe, maybe?

This is one of the best products I have used to brush my hair through whilst it is wet! I usually use a wide-toothed comb, but I have to say this feels better for my hair as it doesn't tug or pull as much as a comb does. This brush can be used on dry hair also but as I have curly hair most of the time I don't brush it when it's dry otherwise my hair would turn into a frizzy mess!

The teeth of the brush are different lengths and are spaced out across the brush. They are very flexible which helps to stop hair from snagging. The brush fits perfectly in your hand which helps to give you more control and care when moving the brush across different sections of hair.

Unlike the original Tangle Teezer that comes in many colours, this brush from Primark only comes in two colours - pink or black, but still at £1.50 you can't go wrong!


I would love to know if it is as good as the Tangle Teezer! Have you tried both? Let me know!

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Dirty Works Facial Skincare - Review

Hello everyone!

Today I am going to be reviewing two products from the Dirty Works skincare range. I'm going to be sharing my thoughts on the Wake Up Call Face Wash and the Blemish Buster 2 in 1 Scrub + Mask*.
These products are available from Sainsbury's or the Dirty Works website (which is linked above.)

Blemish Buster 2 in 1 Scrub + Mask 125ml* (£4.99) more info

This product reminds me of the Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It Face Scrub and Mask, it's similar in colour and texture.
I have only used this product a handful of times as I don't like to over exfoliate my face and after just one use of this scrub my face felt very clean and smooth! 

I personally prefer to use this as a mask rather than a scrub as I like the cooling sensation it gives when leaving it on, it feels nice and refreshing on the skin. I use it as a mask 2 times a week and have seen a noticeable change in my complexion, my skin looks brighter and my pores are looking more reduced.

This product is designed to get rid of spots and unclog blocked pores and for me I think this product achieves that.

Directions

Scrub -

1. Apply a small amount of product to face. 
2. Massage in circular motions paying close attention to the t-zone area.
3. Rinse with warm water.

Mask -

1. Apply a thin layer over whole face, massage for 30 seconds. 
2. Leave for 5 minutes.
3. Rinse with warm water.

Summary 

Pros -

• Nice gritty consistency that helps to give a deep cleanse, preventing more spots from forming. 
• It has a Kaolin mineral clay base which is known for its excellent absorbent qualities, this helps to draw out impurities and toxins in the skin whilst absorbing excess sebum.
• A little goes a long way.
• Lovely packaging.
• Affordable

Cons -

• The smell of the product doesn't blow me away but it's pleasant and fresh!

Wake Up Call Face Wash 150ml* (£3.99) more info

(Taken with Nikon D3100)

I have been using this product twice a day, once in the morning and once at night for the past month or so.
I have to say it isn't the best face wash I have tried but it still does a good job of removing make-up and leaving my skin feeling clean and fresh.

I think the reason I didn't enjoy using this product so much is down to my skin type rather than the product itself, as I do tend to breakout easily and at times my face can feel tight and irritated by certain products.

Directions

1. Massage on to damp skin.
2. Rinse with warm water

Summary

Pros-

• I like that this product is cheap and easily available, the packaging is similar to that of Soap & Glory which is also a plus point. 
• Contains Cotton Seed Oil which is rich in Vitamin E and Papaya extract which has radiance boosting properties.
• Lovely packaging.
• Affordable.

Cons- 

• The consistency of the product is probably what I like the least about this face wash, it is more of a soapy texture rather than a foam. 
• Similar to the scrub, the smell of the product isn't great compared to other face washes out there but it is still pleasant enough.

* Disclaimer PR samples - My opinions are still 100% honest.

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

June Favourites

Hello everyone!

Today I'm going to be sharing my top 5 June favourities. I hope you enjoy reading! 

Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub (£9.50)

I am obsessed with many of the Soap & Glory products and this is one of my favourite exfoliators ever! It smells like maple syrup which I love!

Being a sugar scrub it works really well to combat dry skin and it leaves your skin feeling nice and smooth.

This is what I used to prepare my skin before I went on holiday! 

 Palmer's Cocoa Butter (£3.77)

 

This is one of the best products I have found for moisturising my dry skin.
I have to say I like this moisturiser much more than the Garnier Firming Lotion which I did a full review on click here to see it.
If you are a fan of cocoa butter then you will love the smell of this product if not then I suggest you stay clear from this as it does smell quite strong!
This is what I have been using since I came back from my holiday, it is perfect to use if you want to maintain your tan and it contains Vitamin E which helps to keep your skin soft and smooth!

 Bourjois Healthy Mix (£9.99)

This has been my favourite foundation this month. I love the smell of this foundation, it has a nice fruity, clean fragrance to it. 

People I know who have sensitive skin have been put off by the fact that it is scented and I know many people who have had break outs when using this, but for me it works well on my skin.

I like the 'fruit therapy' aspect of this product also!

This foundation goes on smoothly and lasts a very long time! It is my favourite go-to summer time foundation!

Benefit Porefessional (magazine freebie)

Benefit Porefessional 22ml retails at £23.50

I got this free in Glamour magazine and I love it! However I have stopped using this since I started using the Good Things Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser as I don't like to use a moisturiser as well as a primer, but I had to put this product in my June Favourites because I really do love it.

I don't think it hides my pores a great deal but it definitely leaves my skin looking and feeling smoother and my foundation glides on more easily!

Ciate Bon Bon (magazine freebie - worth £9)

 (Taken with Canon A3300is)

 This is such a gorgeous nude colour!

 I love how this nail polish applies it looks flawless and dries quickly!

I always apply 2 coats as I think that gives the best colour pay off! 

And the packaging is adorable!

What were your June Favourites? Leave me your links below!

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton